The presence of Mr Liu Xiaoming, left, will be seen as a de facto seal of official Chinese approval for the SCC’s initiative, led by Tim Allan, to grow business-to-business links with the world's second largest economy

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China’s Ambassador to the UK will be guest of honour at a dinner in Glasgow tonight hosted by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

The milestone event, which consolidates the business group’s growing engagement in the world’s most populous market, marks a new phase in private sector trade promotion in Scotland.

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The presence of China’s Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Mr Liu Xiaoming will be seen as a de facto seal of official Chinese approval for the SCC’s initiative to grow business-to-business links with the world's second largest economy.

Supported by the Scottish Government, the initiative took a significant step forward in April 2017 on a ground-breaking trade visit which established the SCC's first international trade office in China.

SCC has invited around 200 business people with current or prospective links to the 1.4 billion-population Chinese market to tonight's dinner.

Tim Allan, President of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce who led the visit to Beijing and Shandong Province said: “It is a great honour to be welcoming His Excellency Ambassador Liu to Scotland, and to be able to advance the strong ties of trust and mutual understanding we forged in China”

“What was clear to all on that visit was the huge scope of opportunities that China offers Scottish business, whether as a market for our high quality goods, or for our world-leading knowledge and services industries.”

“The Scottish Chamber of Commerce is ready to help meet the challenge to raise China to being one of Scotland’s main export destinations.”

“These are exciting and dynamic times for the Sino-Scottish relationship, and the progress we are making demonstrates the power of direct business-to-business links and we urge more businesses, both inside and outside the Chambers network to consider the opportunities that China offers.”

As well as making connections between regional Chambers and leading Chinese companies and trade-promoting organisations, the SCC’s recent market visit saw the opening of its first permanent International Trade Office, in the port city of Yantai.

A further Scottish market visit is scheduled for later this year.

Mr Pan Xinchun, China’s Consul General in Edinburgh said in a recent interview for SCC’s forthcoming Global Scotland magazine that Scottish companies should be “more active” in exploring opportunities in China.

Mr Pan urged Scottish companies to be more active in seeking exports and other links with the vast and rapidly-developing Chinese market. He said “The sooner you go, the better chance you have to seize the opportunities.”

“There is much more potential to be tapped. I would like to see more Scottish investment and products in China in the future, which means that Scottish companies should be more active in exploring the Chinese market.”

The visit included the President and the Head of Europe from the Jereh Group interacting and meeting with Scottish operators and suppliers.

Around 50 Chinese companies have investment in Scotland, including PetroChina at Grangemeouth, and travel giant CTrip, which now owns Edinburgh web travel company Skyscanner.

The Chinese firm BYD recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Alexander Dennis of Falkirk to produce electronic busses with Chinese technology, while Chinese firm SDIC has a major stake in the Beatrice offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth.

In his speech at tonight’s dinner, Mr Allan is expected to say: “We can do better in our exports to China.

"Incrementally we must build relationships with China and Chinese business: to better understand their needs, their interests and their demands and to find ways through relationships, time and trust to meet those needs.”

“This is by no means easy: trading with China poses challenges of distance, language and culture and we must remember that the reverse is also just as true for our Chinese friends. But the rewards will be great.”

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The SCC visit to Beijing and Shandong in May, led by SCC’s President Tim Allan, comprised leaders of Glasgow, Edinburgh, West Lothian, Ayrshire, Dundee and Angus and Aberdeen Chambers.

According to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), total direct exports from Scotland to China in 2015 amounted to £605 million in 2015. Although Scotland has an 8.5 per cent share of UK population, this figure amounts to only 1.6 per cent of the total UK figure of £36.1bn given for exports to China by HMRC.